Bottle-capper.



G. STRANDT.

BOTTLE GAPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 11. 1910.

1,040,453. Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHBET 1.

gnuanfoz wiry-leases MM Y'KVM $5 V G. STRANDT.

BOTTLE OAPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

Patented 0013.8, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Elnveutoz QLM IW firm 49% M v m witnesses 21 did G. STRANDT.

BOTTLE GAPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11, 1910.

1,040,453. Patented 0013.8, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

GUSTAV STRANDT, 0E MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

BOTTLE-CHEER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,778.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GUSTAV STRANDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State bf Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Cappers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bottle capping machines and it pertains to that class which is used for placing paper caps in the mouths of milk bottles.

Heretofore, as cappers have been constructed, a cap has been discharged with each downward movement of the plunger whether a bottle was in place or not, and as a consequence, caps have been frequently discharged and wasted because of the fact that no bottles were in place to receive them. By my present construction however, it will be understood that when bottles are not in place beneath the mouth piece of the capper, the mouth piece, plunger, cap receptacle and all the other coiiperating movable parts located above such mouth piece, are free to move upwardly and downwardly together with the operating mechanism, with out imparting any movement to the cap actuating slide, and consequently, no caps will be thrown from the cap receptacle or forced by the plunger through the mouth piece. It therefore follows that when operating the device, if the operator fails to place a bottle under any one of the cappers, such capper will simply fail to operate and no caps will be acted upon until a bottle is in place to receive it. When, however, a bottle is in place beneath the mouth piece, said mouth piece and all other parts rigidly connected therewith, will remain at rest, after the cap strikes the bottle, whereby the vertical movement of the operating mechanism will communicate a reciprocating movement to the cap actuating slide, whereby a cap will be drawn into place with the upward movement and forced into such bottle with the downwardmovement of the plunger.

My invention is further explained by reference to accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view thereof. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of that part of the machine which is located above the bottles which are being capped, showing the plunger in its intermediate position. Fig. 5 is a top view of a stationary base and a reciprocating slide by which the caps are moved. into place above the bottles and Fig. 6 1s a bottom view of a sliding plate by whlch the caps are moved above the bottles.

Like parts are identified by the same reference numerals throughout the several views.

1 represents a milk bottle in position to be capped. Y

The movable parts of the capper are supported from the base 2 by the brackets 3 and the same comprises a mouth piece 1 which is adapted to inclose the upper end of the bottle as the same is being capped, a cylinder 5 for reception of the plunger 6. reciprocating rod 7, cross bar-'8, vertical moving rod 9, guide member 10, chamber 11, for the reception of the guide member 10, receptacle 12, for the reception of the paper cap and base member 14, upon which the caps 13 are supported preparatory to being forced into the mouth of the bottle. The receptacle 12 is supported upon the side of cylinder 5 at a slight distance above the base 14, whereby a suflicient space is provided between the lower end of receptacle l2 and the base for the movement of the reciprocating slide 15, by which the paper caps are moved from receptacle 12, beneath {he plunger 6, preparatory to being forced nto the mouth of the bottle. Such movable part-s also comprise the reciprocating slide 15, horizontal bar 8, spiral springs 17, coltars. 18, arms 19, links, 21, pivot bolts, 20 and 22 and arms, 23 and 24. Motion is communicated from the vertical moving rod T to the reciprocating slide 15, as said slide is thrown back toward the left preparatory to engaging one of the caps through the horizontal bar 8 (see Fig. 2) spiral spring 17, collars, 18, arms 19, pivot bolts, 20, links, 21, pivotal bolts 2, arms 23, and arms 24. Said arms 23 being pivotally supported from the sides of receptacle 12 on the bolts 25, while the lower end of said arms 21 operate in apertures 26 formed on the sides of the slide 15.

It will be understood that as the rod 7 is drawn downwardly the spiral springs 17 are first compressed until their tension is equal to the resistance of the paper caps, which caps a re supportedabove the bottle on the downwardly converging annular flanges 27. \Vhen the tension of the springs is slightly in excess of such resistance the plunger-s and caps will be forced down by the recoil of the spiral springs until said caps are brought into their proper position in the neck'of the bottle, while motionis simultaneouslycommunicated from said actuating rod 7 to the reciprocating slides 15 whereby said-slides are drawn back from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that indicated by dotted lines in I clalm as new and desire. to secure by Letters Patent, is'- I said figure, preparatory to engaging the next succeeding caps above. Thus it is obvious 10 that by the downward movement of the ac tuating means a paper cap is forced into the mouth of the bottle while the cap oper ating slide is simultaneously thrown back preparatory to engaging the next succeeding cap, while by .the upward movement of said vertically moving rod 7 the cap actuating slide 15 is thrown by the action of-said cooperating parts in the opposite direction,

whereby another-cap is brought beneath the plunger 6, preparatory to being forced into the mouth of the bottle by the next succeeding downward movement of said vertically moving rod7.

It will of course, be understood thatwhile a single capper maybe used alone by connectingtwo capping devices with the same 'vertically moving'rod, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, both may be simultaneously operated by the same reciprocating movement ofsaid rod, whereby two bottles may be simultaneously capped. 4 l I For convenience in adjusting my device to bottles of different sizes, I have provided the brackets 3 with vertical recesses 28 and the capping mechanism is adjustably and rigidly supported from said brackets by the clamping bolts 29 and the horizontally supported member 30. The upper ends of the rods 9 are provided with collars 31 which are held in place by the screws 32 and said collars are adapted to serve as stops to the cross bar 8 as the same is moved upward by the rod 7. The slide 15 is provided on one end with a concave recess 15 which isadapted to conform in shape .to the cap against which it operates, said reciprocating slide is also provided on it l wer side with a guide member 16 which is adapted to bear at its respective sides against the opposing- /sides of the recess 33, formed in the base member 14,'thereby serving'as a guide for the reciprocating'slide 15. The cams 23 are provided with a circular slot 34 for there-' ception of'the pivotal bolts 22, whereby the" plunger is free to move upwardly and downwardly a slight distance before communicat ing motion to the reciprocating slide in either direction. The lower side of the co!-' lar 4 is made funnel shape, converging upwardly, so as to more readily engage the upper ends of the bottle, whereby the bottles are brought directly beneath the center of. the plunger,-preparatory to forcing the caps into'them, while the downwardly converging collar 27 serves to support the caps in place above the mouth of'the bottle, preparatory to being forced therefrom into the neck of the bottle by the downward movement of the plunger. v A Having thus described my invention, what 1. In a bottle capping machine of the def scribedclass, the combination of a stationary bottle supportingbase member, a pair ofbrackets supported from-said base member, a plunger slidably supported by suitable guide bearings in said brackets, 'a collar adaptedto engage the mouth of a bottle supported from said guiding member, a cap supporting platform, a cap receptacle open at its lower end supported at a slight distance from said platform, a cap carrying sli'de supported on said platform, a reciproeating operating member connected with and adapted to support all of the movable members of the capper, means connected wit-h said operating member dependent on the resistance of a bottle when the bottle is-in place beneath said collar for moving said cap carryingslide back beneath the cap receptacle, preparatory to moving forward a cap as thevpreceding cap is being forced by the plunger into the mouth of a bottle, and means actuated by the reverse movement ofsaid actuating member for carryingfla capl forward abovea bottle as said plunger is raised.

2. In a device of the described class, the

combination of a stationary bottle Tsup'porting base member, a pair of stationary brackets supported from said base member, a cylinder slidably supported from said bracket, a collar adapted to engage the mouth of a bottle connected with said cylinder, a cap receptacle connected .with the lower'end of said cylinder, a cap supporting platform located at a'slight distance below said receptacle, acap carrying plate slidably supported on said platform, an actuating member, means for yiel-dinglyconnecting said cylinder, cap receptacle, platform and cap carrying plate with said actuating memher, and means for communicating an intermittent 1 movement from said actuating member to said cap carrying plate dependent on the resistance of a bottle when a bottle 'is in place beneath said collar, v-all substantially as'and for the purposespec'ified. n

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV STRANDT;

Witnesses v O. R. ERWIN, JAS. B. Enwm. 

